


A Visitor to The Island

by reallyireaditfortheplot



Series: When Only Some Are Left [1]
Category: The Dresden Files - All Media Types, The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Post-Canon, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 19:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4492134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reallyireaditfortheplot/pseuds/reallyireaditfortheplot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More than half a century after the currently published works, Harry has secluded himself on Demonreach in mourning. An unexpected visitor arrives. (MENTIONED character death- takes place after)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Visitor to The Island

**Author's Note:**

> This is WAY post-canon. Spoilers for all books through Skin-Game, but its mostly just mentions of things we know to exist.

Something was wrong. There was someone on the island.

Harry’s eyes flew open. The options weren’t too pleasant any way it went. Being attacked while at an emotional low was an old trick, but there were three Wardens in the city with the ability to call the rest at any moment. Plus the shit-ton of wards he’d put on the outer banks, not to mention Fido, the telepathic minivan-sized octopus who was repaying a debt by playing guard dog for another twenty or so years. How the hell had he not known someone was on the island?  
Harry ran through possibilities as he tried to pull on his pants. The Fae were a no, he wouldn’t have sensed a person, a soul that way. Those wishing to comfort the bereft, even if they didn’t know what the island was, knew enough that they wouldn’t show up uninvited. Thomas might still have been stubborn enough to try, or maybe Ebenezer. Or one of the girls. Pig headedness was in fact genetic, it turned out. Charity was too fragile for making the trek out here and Michael wouldn’t have left her side. Butters had said it was perfectly understandable to sit shiva longer if you were a being with a life span of several hundred years. (Though to be perfectly frank Harry had no idea how long he’d been here. Alfred wasn’t all that good with time, and Harry hadn’t exactly been in a state of mind to grab a calendar on his way out here.)

So the possibilities that remained were either a mortal, stupide brave enemy; or a stupid determined loved one; walking very slowly up the path. The fact that Alfred hadn’t already gotten his smiting outfit on meant that he knew he couldn’t do much to help. Harry’s conclusion was that it was a) a really, really lost pizza guy, b) a particularly stubborn family member, or c) a very, very serious threat.

“Fuck!” He shouted as he ran out his front door, nearly tripping as he went down the deck stairs. His shoelaces were still untied but at least he had his staff and blasting rod in hand. Just as he began to get into a full sprint, Alfred showed up. Finally. Harry squeaked to a stop a la road runner in front of Alfred.

“THERE IS NO THREAT. MOLLY CARPENTER HAS COME TO SPEAK WITH YOU.”

“Well why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” Harry spat. “Alfred, I was ready to go fuckin nuclear on her ass!”

“HER INTENTIONS NEEDED TO BE VERBALLY EXPLAINED.”

“Oh.” Harry faltered. “Well, thanks, I guess.” Demonreach didn’t allow people on the island unless Harry explained that they weren’t a threat. Not the other way around. Ever. End of story. This was unheard of, Harry hadn’t realized Alfred even had a ‘questions first’ mode. His purpose fulfilled, Alfred turned to fade into the rock, and Harry realized it was the first time the spirit hadn’t called Molly ‘Grasshopper’. Huh.

Knowing the threat was averted, Harry put his staff and blasting rod away, tied his shoes, and realigned his shirt buttons so that they weren’t crooked. He knew he must look terrible, but he might as well try to not scare her.  
He was sitting in a chair on his open deck, trying not to look like the Unibomber, when she came into sight. 

She was tall, five-nine, with jeans tucked into her hiking boots, and a dark jacket with gloves against the chill in the air. She had on just enough makeup to look like she wasn’t wearing any, and her straight, dark blonde hair was heavily shot through with silver. All that remained of the fourteen year old he had originally known was a tiny silver stud on the side of her nose.

His tenure as the Winter Knight had slowed his aging enough that they actually looked around the same age. Or perhaps the levels of “old” are harder to distinguish. He’d had the opportunity to pass off one Mantle before the end of Halloween. He took hers against her wishes and chose a new Winter Lady. It had been around half a century ago, she had long since forgiven him. Or, had long since stopped bringing it up to guilt trip him. His own chance to be free of Mab had come about five years later, and in the end it had been Karrin who was most angry with him. Even though she knew it hadn’t been the case, she had felt like he was choosing Molly over her. It had played into her basic fear of their relationship. It was only once Molly told her that she had wanted to stay the Winter Lady; that Harry had gotten her out of it in a sense of responsibility for her, that Karrin had understood and finally accepted his marriage proposal.

Harry resisted the urge to hold the wedding ring he wore around his neck next to his mother’s pentacle. He had to learn how to do things without her. Demonreach needed a Warden. His daughters needed a father. The Line of Merlin needed an heir. The Council could go do something anatomically impossible to itself, but the people they protected still needed a Starborn. He knew it was probably some level of megalomaniacal narcissism, but the only thing he could do to keep going was convince himself he was important, that he was necessary to the survival of others.

Molly walked over to him as he stood up. They met just in front of the porch, and without saying anything, she went straight to hug him. After a pause of confusion, he returned the squeeze, they stayed that way for several seconds before Harry realized she was shaking ever so slightly. As the broke apart, he looked down into her eyes for half a second, before realizing a soul gaze was about to begin. Huh. He knew that the lifespan of a wizard allowed for soulgazes to happen anew, but he’d never experienced it before. He wasn’t sure he wanted Molly to have to see him.

So he stared at the spot on her nose in between her eyes when asked “Wait, what happened?”

She took a deep breath, and said, “I know this isn’t fair to you. I’m sorry I wasn’t at her funeral, you were just so loud, Harry, it hurt, to feel all of that pain rolling off you, I just couldn’t be there, but-,” another deep breath “You need to come back. My father is in a coma. There’s no hope. We’re going to pull the plug, and we need you. Marion, Maggie, they need their father back, and I- Well, I need my…” She paused, not finding the right word, and then sighed before concluding with the three words he had never been able to resist.  
“I need you.”


End file.
